Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-17

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Write a letter to the local council. In your letter

• give details of how you and your friends or family use the centre
• explain why the sports and leisure centre is important for the local community
• describe the possible effects on local people if the centre closes

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my appreciation for the local sports and leisure center and to emphasize its importance to our community.

My friends and I utilize this facility five days a week to play indoor sports and maintain our health. The center is vital to our area because it allows residents of all ages to engage in physical activities and learn new sports under the guidance of professional trainers. Furthermore, it provides valuable part-time employment opportunities for local students who work there as instructors.

It is essential that this center remains open and accessible. Many young people rely on its facilities to practice, as there are no alternative sports centers nearby. If the center were to close, residents would have to travel roughly an hour to access facilities in another town, incurring significant travel expenses and additional membership fees.

I urge the council to continue supporting this facility to prevent unnecessary disruptions to our daily lives.

Yours faithfully,

Kishan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The student has successfully covered all bullet points outlined in the task prompt. The letter begins with details of how the writer and their friends use the center, noting that they 'utilize this facility five days a week to play indoor sports and maintain our health.' The response then clearly explains why the center is important for the local community, highlighting its role in physical health, professional guidance, and student employment opportunities. Finally, the effects of a potential closure are well described, including travel times, financial costs, and the lack of alternative facilities. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council, and the position is clear throughout. The response fully satisfies the task requirements with well-developed ideas, earning a solid band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is exceptionally well-organized and easy to follow. Ideas are logically sequenced, moving seamlessly from the purpose of the letter and personal use in the first paragraph, to community importance in the second, and consequences of closure in the third. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group distinct themes. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore' and 'If the center were to close' are employed naturally to connect ideas without being overly mechanical or intrusive. Referencing is clear throughout, and the progression of thought maintains the reader's engagement effortlessly. This clearly aligns with the descriptors for a band 8.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a formal letter of complaint or appeal. Words and phrases such as 'express my appreciation', 'vital to our area', 'employment opportunities', and 'incurring significant travel expenses' show a good command of lexical items and collocations. There are occasional slight generalities, but no major word-choice errors or spelling mistakes impede communication. While it does not consistently display the highly sophisticated or uncommon idiomatic control required for a band 8, the vocabulary deployed is precise and natural enough to comfortably secure a band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The writer exhibits a very good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Sentences such as 'If the center were to close, residents would have to travel roughly an hour to access facilities in another town, incurring significant travel expenses and additional membership fees' demonstrate excellent control over conditionals and participial phrases. Punctuation is accurate, and the vast majority of sentences are completely error-free. The grammatical control is strong and flexible, warranting a high band score due to the consistent accuracy across various complex sentence forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.